Chai-spiced Porridge with Stewed Apples

By Kristin, posted 7 months ago

After spending a few days at a B&B in Ireland at Christmastime and being treated to fabulous breakfasts (think homemade breads and jams and dried fruits poached in wine), I got to thinking of ways I could make my daily bowl of porridge more interesting. I asked myself what kind of porridge you might find on an upscale B&B menu, and this is what I came up with.

Serves 2

for the stewed apples::

• 1 pound apples
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

for the chai-spiced porridge:

• 1 cup porridge oats
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoons cinnamon
• pinches ground ginger
• pinches ground cloves
• pinches ground nutmeg

1. First, to make the stewed apples, peel and core the apples, then cut them into bite-sized pieces. Place in a small saucepan and add the water, brown sugar and cinnamon, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft and the juices are syrupy. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. To make the porridge, in a saucepan, combine the oats, milk, brown sugar and spices. Stir well to combine. Bring to the boil and cook briskly for 3 minutes, stirring all the time (or cook according to your porridge oats packet instructions). Remove from the heat.
3. To serve, divide the porridge between 2 bowls and spoon the stewed apples on top. Any leftover stewed apples can be kept in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week.